It was almost 100 degrees in Topanga. I was craving cold Korean noodles, naengmyun. Today I thought I'd try another place,
Chilbomyunok, which is on 6th Street in the same area as
Agassi Gobchang and
Kang Hodong Baekjeong.
Like those places, it's a big modern place, with slick, granite table tops and updated fixtures. The tables and chairs are roomy and elegant, and there's plenty of space between tables, so you don't feel jammed together with other diners.
Still, it was a little less homey than
Yu Chun Chic Nang Myun, and in the late afternoon, smelled a little like chlorine cleanser.
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| A bowl of hot broth to start with |
A really nice young man waiter brought me a bowl of hot broth when I sat down. It was strong and savory-salty.
They offer a combo deal, with a smaller bowl of noodles accompanied by a side of meat. I asked the waiter for his recommendation, and I chose a combo with naengmyun and beef galbi.
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| Three panchan - the one on the right is potato salad with raisins |
These noodles were very slender and white, not dark brown buckwheat. Here, slices of Asian pear and white radish, and big chunks of cucumber floated in the cold broth. The broth was tangy, but not as sweet as at Yu Chun, and there was less beef.
I loved the way the pear and radish slices looked so similar that I didn't know whether I'd get a pungent crunch or a sweet yielding bite until I chop-sticked it into my mouth. I liked the broth, but I missed the sesame seeds and the deeper flavor that dollops of gochujang gave the bowl at Yu Chun. Here, they had a plastic dispenser of spicy Korean mustard, and a few drops added a nice tingle.
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| Beef galbi |
The galbi was tasty, but too rich and hot for a scorching day like today. So I savored my cold noodles and sipped my Hite beer, and packed the beef up in a container for later.
It was good, but I think the next time I crave cold noodles, I'm going back to Yu Chun Chic Nang Myun.
